Friendship's Gift
by Sakura Lain
Summary: Seven years after Ryoma's wife passed away, his parents and Sumire Ryuzaki secretly come up with a plan to set him up with Sakuno...by making Sakuno believe she's just there to babysit his seven year old son.  They thought it would be easy...
1. Mika Echizen

_Disclaimer: I don't own The Prince of Tennis._

* * *

**Friendship's Gift**

Chapter 1: **Mika Echizen**

-

When Sakuno was still in middle school, everyone in the male tennis club knew about her crush on the tennis prince. By high school freshman year, almost everyone in the _school_ knew about it. She was practically inseparable from Ryoma Echizen. She always followed him around, with new bento every day, and always trying in vain to start conversations with him. Most times he simply ignored her, but then he actually started to reply, although his answers were too short and not enough to keep the conversation going. Still, it seemed enough for Sakuno. She really thought he was starting to open up to her. Momoshiro and Kikumaru-senpai certainly thought so.

They weren't wrong, but they weren't exactly right either. Ryoma _did_ open up more to Sakuno, but Sakuno realized all too soon that it was as far as their 'friendship' would go. She didn't think it would bother her, though. That as long as he thought of her as a friend, she would be happy.

Then Mika came into the picture. Sakuno met Mika Sasaki in ninth grade, although it wasn't until tenth grade that Mika and Ryoma became acquainted. By the end of that year, Mika Sasaki and Ryoma Echizen were going out.

It was a shock to the whole school (minus the _very_ few who could care less about the tennis prince's love life). Momoshiro and Kikumaru even offered Sakuno to help by teaching that 'Mika girl' a _lesson_ or two. Sakuno had quickly told them that it wasn't necessary. It was obvious they weren't happy about it; every regular of the tennis team was sure Ryuzaki and Echizen would eventually hook up even if they didn't voice their opinion (Tezuka, for example), especially after Ryoma had opened up to her a bit more. And Sakuno couldn't bring herself to hate Mika, not even dislike her one bit.

After all, Mika was her friend.

Whereas Tomoka was Sakuno's self-titled "best friend", the loud and energetic one that always pushed Sakuno forward to meet any and all of life's hardships, Mika was a nice and gentle girl, quiet and very much the opposite of what Tomoka was. Sakuno became friends with Mika very quickly, a surprise in itself, as Sakuno usually had a hard time making _any_ friends. But she loved Mika. It was clear Sakuno was a very important person to Mika as well.

But it became too uncomfortable being with Mika after she started to go out with Ryoma. Sakuno was happy for Mika, but she couldn't stand the gnawing feeling in the pit of her stomach, how horrible she felt that Ryoma had settled for someone else. It hit Sakuno then and there that she had deceived herself for over three years about her relationship with Ryoma. It really _hadn't_ been going anywhere, had it? Sakuno wallowed up in self-pity at first, but decided to be strong and move on. After all, she also needed to support one of her best friends, right?

It was even harder after high school. Mika began to notice how much Sakuno tried to avoid hanging out with her, even without Echizen around. Sakuno could see the pain in Mika's eyes. She was losing a friend and she knew it, no matter how much Sakuno told her otherwise. But it wasn't something either of them could easily mend. Mika was _in love _with Ryoma.

Then came the wedding. Nineteen-year-old Sakuno learned about it through her grandmother, who was always in contact with the Echizens, considering her acquaintance with Nanjirou. "Mika wants you to go," Sumire told her.

"I can't," Sakuno mumbled, leaving the kitchen. She even ignored the invitation on the dinner table, signed from Mika to Sakuno. She was asking her best friend to be there for one of the most important days of her life. But Sakuno couldn't do it. No matter how much she told herself that she was over losing Ryoma, she just couldn't go and see him get married to someone else. Not even with Mika.

So she didn't go.

She really thought Mika would hate her then. But she learned the two of them had a hard and complicated friendship, it seemed. The two friends loved each other dearly, and understood how difficult it was for the other. And yet Mika was determined not to lose Sakuno. So she phoned in every now and then, even if their conversations were short-lived.

One day, a year later, Mika announced she was pregnant.

Sakuno was too shocked to say anything; she had nearly forgotten the phone in her hand. "Why are you telling me this?" she cried angrily into the receiver.

"Sakuno…"

"No, don't tell me anything else!" And she hung up.

It was childish and stupid of her. She knew she needed to _grow up_. Maybe it would have been easier to move on, she thought, if she had kept a safe distance from Mika like she had told herself to years ago. Being around her only kept reminding her of Ryoma.

But now it was too late.

Mika was her friend.

Her very special friend.

She couldn't just leave her now.

And so Sakuno called her back a few minutes later to apologize.

That night the two young friends stayed on the phone with each other for over two long hours. It was as if they were back to the old days, when there were no complications straining their friendship. Sakuno had laughed with her so much that night, she felt like everything would really _be_ all right. They talked about their favorite childhood moments, what high school had been like with their old friends, their apprehensions for the future, and so on. In the end, they were even starting to come up with names for the baby.

"_You_ should pick!" Mika laughed on the other line.

"Um…I don't know, don't _you_ have a favorite?" Sakuno asked.

"I always liked the name Satoshi for a boy…up until I met Horio-kun in school," she said; Sakuno giggled. "And Natsuko for a girl."

"I like Natsuko," said Sakuno, nodding.

"But what if it's a boy?"

"Um…well…I like…Shuichiro," Sakuno said, feeling herself blush. It had been the name for a boy she liked in kindergarten.

"Shuichiro, huh? It's a really nice name!" said Mika.

"Really?" Sakuno beamed. "You won't believe where I got it from!"

Then Sakuno's grandmother needed to use the phone for a call, and Sakuno was forced to say good night to Mika and hang up. But the long talk had left Sakuno feeling happier than she had felt for a while. She suddenly felt that she could be over Ryoma, knew that she could look at him as just the husband of her best friend and nothing more. No more flattened hopes, no more stupid high school crush…within weeks, Sakuno's newfound determination had finally allowed her to truly move on about Ryoma and accept things as they were. And she felt truly happy for her friend.

But Mika's optimism about the pregnancy was slowly diminishing.

"They think I might have complications with the baby," Mika said sadly on the phone one night, just weeks away from the set date.

Sakuno gasped, feeling the breath knocked out of her. "Mika-san…" she said after a moment. "That won't happen. You'll be all right. Please don't give up…"

She could tell Mika was crying and felt helpless, wanting to comfort her friend but not knowing how. "They also don't know if…if I _do _have complications, if the baby will also make it…"

Sakuno could feel her own tears beginning to brim in her eyes. "Mika-san…that won't happen! You and the baby will live. You still have a whole life ahead of you! And I'll be there with you, I promise. Everything's going to be fine…" Sakuno's voice cracked near the end. She wasn't sure if she could believe her own words.

"Thank you…" she heard Mika say quietly.

"How…how is Ryoma-kun?" Sakuno asked.

"_He's_ not giving in," said Mika, and Sakuno could just hear the smile on Mika's voice. It brought a small smile to Sakuno's lips.

"Sakuno…?" Mika spoke up.

"Yes?"

"Remember on the phone, when we planned to do so many things together once the baby was born?" Mika asked quietly. "Do simple activities, like teaching the baby new things and taking him to picnics together?" There was a short pause. "I still want to do those things…"

Sakuno almost cried then and there. But she held on. "We will," she said to her.

* * *

Shuichiro.

They say it was the last thing she said on her deathbed. Sakuno wouldn't know. She cried and fought with the doctors and told them to do something to help her. But she was dying. And Sakuno couldn't bear to see her dying. It was inevitable. Mika couldn't make it.

But the baby did.

Sakuno was alone in Mika's private room, although everything had been changed and cleaned and looked as if she hadn't been there at all before. It was ready for a next patient. But Sakuno sat on a chair near the bed, and her eyes bore into the clean, white sheets, images of Mika's dying moments flashing in her mind.

She was surprised when the door opened and was even shocked to see Ryoma there. She had been very close to Mika, but she hardly talked with Ryoma. Something small wrapped in a bundle of blankets was in his arms. It took a moment for Sakuno to realize that it was the baby.

Ryoma made his way into the room silently, and sat on a chair across Sakuno. His eyes were pink and his cheeks were still damp, signs that he had been crying before. There was a long silence between them as they stared at each other, and then Sakuno's gaze fell on the baby in his arms.

"Do you want to hold him?" Ryoma said suddenly.

Sakuno's gaze snapped up, looking into his eyes again. She wasn't sure what to do or say, how she would even feel if she held Mika's child…but Ryoma leaned forward and gently placed the baby in her arms.

"His name is Shuichiro," he said. Sakuno marveled at the baby boy she was holding and the small tufts of silver-gray hair on his small head—just like Mika's hair.

Sakuno didn't know how long she sat there holding Shuichiro. Suddenly she could remember every happy moment she had with Mika, every carefree conversation she had with her over the phone. Everything they both planned to do together with Shuichiro. She could feel Ryoma's eyes observing her as she cradled the baby in her arms.

"Mika said…" he spoke again, softly, "…that you were a very dear friend to her. That's why she chose to name him Shuichiro."

Sakuno nodded, emotions beginning to overwhelm her. But she didn't want to start crying again and thought about saying something that would help lighten up the mood more. It was also the first time that Ryoma was doing the talking and Sakuno was being quiet. The irony tugged at Sakuno's lips, almost making her smile.

"Did you know…" she spoke up, glad that her voice sounded even and light-hearted, "…that he was almost named after 'two years of tennis experience' Satoshi Horio-kun?"

Ryoma blinked. Sakuno knew he was taking a moment to try and remember who 'Satoshi Horio-kun' was. She knew it wouldn't take long, not with her reference to the 'two years of tennis experience', and soon enough it finally seemed to dawn on him when his face pulled up into a grimace and his body fought very visible shivers. She giggled.

They smiled and stayed in the room for a very long time, just observing the sleeping baby and the occasional faces it made.

It was the longest, most private, moment the two had ever shared thus far.

* * *

Author's Note: An idea that had been tugging at the back of my head, begging to be written. This story is _not _over yet. But I can't guarantee that Sakuno and Ryoma will get together by the end of it. I'm still not sure about how it will all turn out, though ideas are running around like crazy in my head. I'll do my best to keep this story updated; same goes for 'The Fabricated Wedding.'

Ja ne, minna-san!


	2. The Echizens

**Author's Note: **Check my profile for more notes on this story, if you like. Thanks for all the feedback!

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_Disclaimer: Don't own The Prince of Tennis._

-

**Friendship's Gift**

Chapter 2: **The Echizens**

_(Seven Years Later)_

--

"Aw, come on, just open up the presents already!"

"I'll open them up later. Right now I'm too tired."

"Ah, _Obaa-san_, you're too mean!"

Sumire Ryuzaki glared at Tomoka Osakada across the dinner table, the wrinkles around her eyes making her look that much worse. "Osakada, you call me _Obaa-san_ again and you'll see what's going to happen to you."

Sakuno stared at her grandmother in wonder. It was amazing she could still keep up with her fiery personality after so many years. But she also tried to imagine her doing some old grandmotherly karate to someone else and the image only made her chuckle. Apparently Tomoka was thinking the same thing and was laughing. Sumire looked offended.

"You girls hurt my dignity," she sighed, taking a sip of tea. "I'm not _that_ old."

"Only a year older," Tomoka piped in, grinning. Sumire glared at her again, but Tomoka ignored it. "Ne, part of the fun is the part where you open up the presents! So, come on! Let's open them!"

Sumire sighed.

Tomoka pouted. "Fine," she said. She got up, picking up the empty plates from the table and taking them to the sink. "I'll go home now. Tako and I are taking the kids to the amusement park tomorrow. I have to wake up early in the morning."

"Sure," Sakuno nodded, smiling. "Thanks for coming over."

"My pleasure," said Tomoka. She picked up her jacket and put it on. "Ja, minna," she said and hurried out the door.

"Obaa-chan, you _were_ mean," Sakuno sweatdropped, turning to face her grandmother now that Tomoka was gone.

"Since when am I not mean? Besides, I'm just having fun with Osakada. I'm allowed that much on my birthday, right?" said Sumire nonchalantly as she took another sip of tea.

"Um…" Sakuno wasn't sure if it was either _that_, or just mere bitterness her grandmother was feeling due to turning a year older.

"By the way, Sakuno," said Sumire, her voice no longer containing humor in it. She looked serious again. "I spoke with the Echizens this morning—Nanjirou and his wife, Rinko."

"Eh?" Sakuno's head tilted slightly to the side, curious. She knew her grandmother was in contact with the Echizens often—Nanjirou coached his son, Ryoma, throughout his tennis career, but most of Nanjirou's advice came from Sumire Ryuzaki, who had been his coach when he was a young boy. Sakuno often overheard her grandmother speaking into the phone for hours at a time, just discussing with Nanjirou new tennis strategies and techniques. It was always just about tennis. She wondered why this call was any different and why it would involve her.

Then again, if _Rinko_ was part of the conversation, then it couldn't have been about tennis, but something else. Sumire took another long sip of her tea, Sakuno's patience wearing thin; she was too curious as to what the Echizens wanted with her.

"I'll go straight to the point and forget the rest of the minor details," said Sumire, and there was something in her eyes that told Sakuno she was hiding something. "Rinko and Nanjirou are getting old…and their grandson, Shuichiro, is only getting more troublesome and harder for them to look after. As you know, Ryoma is out most of the time due to his tennis, so they stay at home with Shuichiro to take care of him. Or more like _Rinko_ does, anyway. That Nanjirou was always one lazy bastard…

"However, like I said, they're getting older and it's getting harder for them to keep up with Shuichiro's troublesome nature. They would like to have some help. They called me this morning to ask if _you_ could help," Sumire finished.

Sakuno's face turned dubious. "Help as in _babysit_? But I've never taken care of kids…and I have a job, I wouldn't have the time…"

Sumire smirked. Sakuno knew that look coming from her grandmother—she was somehow in on something with the Echizens. And she obviously wanted Sakuno to say 'yes' to the offer. It confused Sakuno very much. "You can quit your job," she said.

Sakuno threw her a revolting look, but before she could protest, Sumire continued, "Let me explain first! They've offered to pay you for your help. A good, nice salary, better than what you earn sitting in a dreary cubicle all day."

Sakuno cringed. She hated her boring office job but her grandmother didn't have to make her job sound worse than it already was. Still, just thinking about being able to quit that job for something else…it sparked her interest a bit. But then the idea just sounded awkward…the idea of being paid by Ryoma's parents. It was weird.

"They don't mind. Rinko remembers you very well and she's fond of you," said Sumire, almost as if she really could read everything that was going on in Sakuno's mind.

Sakuno flushed, thinking about the comment. "I'll think about it," she muttered, smiling shyly.

"Do think about it, then," said Sumire, smiling triumphantly. "In any case, you should go over to the Echizen residence tomorrow in the morning. You can talk with Rinko and ask any questions to her then. You can make your decision after that."

Sakuno nodded. The idea of getting paid by Ryoma's parents to look after his son still sounded weird to her.

_But_.

She hadn't seen any of the Echizens in seven years. Well, except Rinko, and it was only because she ran into her the other day at the supermarket. It _had_ been nice to see her after so long…

"I'll go talk to Rinko-san in the morning," said Sakuno.

"You do that," Sumire nodded.

--

It had been so long since Sakuno last looked through her high school yearbook. She flipped through the pages quickly, until she saw a picture with the familiar face she was looking for.

Mika-san.

It wasn't just Mika in the picture. Tomoka was part of the yearbook staff that year and she insisted on having a group picture of all their friends for that year's book. She had another student take the picture. Sakuno was in the center, Mika and Tomoka on either side of her. The trio—Horio, Kachiro, and Katsuo—stood behind them, all three of the boys tall enough to be seen behind the girls. Ryoma was far off to the side, looking away and bored. He had only been in the picture at all because Mika had insisted he show up in it.

Sakuno sighed, sitting down on the floor, the yearbook in her lap.

_We'll take him to picnics together. It'll be fun!_

She didn't even_ know_ Shuichiro.

She accepted that things wouldn't be the way she and Mika had planned them out to be, when she held Shuichiro as a baby one last time before Ryoma and his parents departed with him. They had moved to America soon after, then returned only a year ago. Sakuno had no contact with them throughout those years, even if her grandmother constantly spoke on the phone with Nanjirou to help with Ryoma's training. She had no reason to visit them when they came back.

But taking this babysitting job…it gave her a reason to see them. She didn't know why, but it brightened up her mood. Maybe it was because they were the only ties she had with Mika—especially Shuichiro.

_All right…I'll take the job. I'll do all those things we were going to do, Mika-san. I'll help look after your son for you._

--

Sakuno woke up very early the next morning, the anticipation of getting to see any of the Echizens eating at her. It also made her nervous…what if Ryoma was actually there, and not out on some tennis thing as usual? There was no reason to fear him, but she hadn't seen him in so long. How would it be like, seeing him again? She only hoped it wouldn't be too awkward at the least. Breakfast seemed bland that morning and she hurried through it.

Her grandmother had given her directions to the Echizen household. They lived outside of the city. The scenery reminded Sakuno of her Seishun Gakuen days, when the tennis regulars were required to run up some tiresome slopes and mountains, complete with beautiful streams and forests, as part of their training. It took her approximately two hours for her to find the grand house (and it would have taken an hour and a half instead if it wasn't for Sakuno's bad sense of direction). The house was in the middle of an enormous clearing, two stories high. The house was simply white, and even though it wasn't meant to look too flattering like the rich homes Sakuno saw on television, it was still immense and beautiful.

Sakuno wondered how peaceful it must be like to live here, surrounded by nature and having no grumpy neighbors to bother you about anything. The road ahead in front of the house converged into a circle, with a fountain in the center. She made to park there, not sure where else to park her car (though there was a huge garage far off to the side of the house, Sakuno was sure at least three or four cars could fit in there), but she was suddenly startled when a small figure ran in front of her car. She stomped her foot on the brake, but the child disappeared from view and Sakuno screamed.

"Oh no, oh no, oh no…" she kept saying to herself, hurrying out of her seat. She rushed to the front of the car, finding a small boy lying down on his butt, his eyes shut. "Are you okay?" she asked him, a bit of hysteria in her voice. She could've killed him! It was a good thing he didn't appear to be seriously hurt and that she was had been driving very slowly.

"What were you thinking, you should've looked first before running in front of me!" cried Sakuno. She kneeled down next to the boy. He was small, looking around six or seven, and his hair was silver-gray. She gasped, recognizing Shuichiro immediately. "I'm so, so sorry!" she cried out, wrapping him in a hug.

"Ne, Nee-san, I'm fine," the boy complained. "Just let go of me already. I'm not hurt. I did that on purpose."

Sakuno paused. She let go of him and looked at him like he was crazy. "You ran in front of me _on purpose_?" she demanded.

Shuichiro smirked. "So I fell on my butt, big deal. I knew I wouldn't get hurt. I just wanted to pretend that…" he froze, his eyes widening. Then he looked at Sakuno very rudely. "Stop asking questions! You're making me spill the beans!" he cried.

Cat-eyes like Ryoma. Just that same look looked quite intimidating, even on his younger face.

"Spill the beans…?" Sakuno shook her head. "Never mind that… Who do you think you are, doing that? I could have seriously hurt you!"

Shuichiro stood up on his own, shoving his hands in the pockets of his beige shorts. "Whatever," he said. He stuck his tongue out at Sakuno and then hurried up the steps leading into the big house. "Go away!" he cried before going inside and leaving her there. Sakuno stared at the spot he had been standing on, her eyes wide and blinking in confusion. What the heck had just happened?

She stood up shakily and then walked up the same steps Shuichiro took. She rang the doorbell, still thinking about what had just happened. "Why would he want to do that…" she murmured to herself. Her thoughts were cut short when the front door opened and Rinko stood at the entrance.

In her late fifties (A/N: Well, I'm not really sure how old she should be, but…), Rinko looked the same as she did several years ago, just more wrinkles added to her delicate features and more white apparent in her hair. She still looked like she could manage on her own, however. Far better off than Sakuno's grandmother, who was much, much older and needed Sakuno's help every now and then.

Rinko smiled, clapping her hands together when she saw Sakuno. "Ryuzaki-san! How good to see you again!"

"It's good to see you too, Echizen-san," replied Sakuno, bowing.

"Oh, just call me Rinko, Sweetie," said Rinko.

"Rinko-san," Sakuno corrected herself, straightening up from her bow. She smiled, though still feeling quite shaken from what had happened with Shuichiro. "You may also call me 'Sakuno', ma'am…"

"Please, come in," said Rinko, gesturing her to come inside. "I have some refreshments in the living room for us to talk."

"Thank you," said Sakuno shyly, coming inside. She took her own shoes off and followed Rinko into the living room with guest slippers.

There were two sofas in the living room, a long low table in between. A silver tray was on top of the table, with sweets and drinks on it. Sakuno settled down on one of the sofas. The room felt pleasantly warm—there was a fireplace as well.

"Ano, Rinko-san…" Sakuno started as Rinko settled on the sofa across her. "About the job…"

"I'm assuming Ryuzaki-sensei already talked to you about it. It's all right if you don't want to take it," said Rinko, smiling.

"No, I want to!" said Sakuno, shaking her head. "Mika-san was my best friend! Of course I don't mind taking care of Shuichiro, if it helps."

Rinko smiled again, taking her tea from the table and holding it over her lap. "I'm glad you've decided to help, then," she said. She took a sip of her tea and then continued, "Shuichiro's a very troublesome boy, however. I do hope he doesn't cause you any more trouble than he already does to me and Nanjirou. We're getting very old to be chasing him around the house…"

Sakuno smiled.

"…and although Anata (Nanjirou) was very athletic in his youth, he is beginning to feel the strain of old age. And he doesn't have the patience for this, anyway," Rinko chuckled.

"Ano…" Sakuno spoke up. "I've never worked with kids before… I hope I can help."

"You will," said Rinko. There was silence. Sakuno was beginning to get the feeling that other things were going on inside Rinko's head but she wouldn't voice them. Just like with her grandmother.

"Sakuno-san, if you don't mind," Rinko spoke again, breaking the silence. "I've arranged a guest room for you. That is, if you don't mind staying with us while babysitting Shuichiro."

"A…A room? For me…?" Sakuno stammered. She couldn't imagine herself temporarily living in a house this big.

"Of course," said Rinko, "I wouldn't want this job to become a hassle for you. Having to drive here back and forth every day will be so exhausting…"

"True…" Sakuno nodded, looking down at her lap as her cheeks reddened from embarrassment. She would actually be _living_ with the Echizens! With a room of her own, no less! But then she remembered her grandmother, Sumire. "Demo…I would have to talk with my grandmother first… I take care of her, you see…"

Rinko smiled yet again, and Sakuno knew something was up. She prepared herself to hear another too-good-to-be-true statement from Rinko. "When I spoke with your grandmother, we also talked about this. We decided that, should you decide to babysit here, that she could also stay here with us in the meantime."

"Souka (sp?)…" Sakuno nodded. It was too good, too well planned out. Sakuno wasn't very good when it came to figuring some things out (being quite dense herself in that respect), but she definitely knew that there was something going on between her grandmother and the Echizens.

She was beginning to think this whole thing had been planned out from the beginning.

Not that she minded. But she did wonder about the motive.

"Good, then," said Rinko, getting up. Sakuno got up as well. "I'll introduce you to Shuichiro, then, before you go. I'd show you to Anata and Ryoma, but Anata's asleep and my son's not at home at the moment. You'll find that he isn't home very often, due to his tennis career." Sakuno nodded. She was sure that would have been the case, anyway. However, she wondered how long it would be until she did see him again. It had been too long since she saw him last. It would be nice to see Ryoma again, she thought.

"Shuichiro-san," Rinko called out when they returned to the entry way. Sakuno took that time to marvel at the magnificent staircase while they waited for Shuichiro to appear.

"There you are," said Rinko. Sakuno looked away from the stairs and saw Shuichiro again, now standing before her and Rinko. He didn't look very pleased to see Sakuno again.

"Shuichiro-san, this will be your babysitter, starting tomorrow," said Rinko. "Sakuno Ryuzaki. Sakuno-san, this is Shuichiro-san. He just turned seven last week."

"Nice to meet you, Shuichiro-kun," said Sakuno, bowing a little. She offered him a smile but it didn't stop him from glaring at her from his spot.

"I knew it," Shuichiro groaned quietly to himself. Sakuno looked at him, wondering what his problem was. He was so different from the sweet and angelic boy she thought he would be. "I don't need a babysitter," he said, glaring in Sakuno's direction. Then his gaze turned to Rinko. "'Baa-chan, I told you I didn't need a babysitter!"

"Now you behave in front of our guest, Shuichiro," said Rinko seriously. Omitting the 'san' at the end of Shuichiro's name only made her sound even more serious. She didn't look like one to be messed with at the moment. It wasn't a wonder that Shuichiro's face softened and his gaze fell to the floor. "Now you apologize to Sakuno-san."

Although he was about to apologize to Sakuno, Shuichiro didn't look sorry at all. "Sorry," he said quietly. Then he smirked. "Although, 'Baa-chan… Nee-san here almost ran into me outside…with her car."

Sakuno paled, her body paralyzed. She stood firm, afraid of what Rinko would think. What was up with the kid, anyway? Well, it was obvious he didn't want her there…

Rinko paused and then shook her head. "Shuichiro-san, you and your silly stories… You really need to stop your lying, young man, it's going to get you in trouble some day."

Shuichiro's mouth hung open. "I'm not lying! She really tried to kill me!"

"No, I did not!" Sakuno blurted out before she knew it. But she couldn't let this kid lie about her, either! Sure, she _did_ almost run him over, but she didn't intend to _kill_ him.

"Shuichiro-san!" Rinko cried out, and Shuichiro quieted down immediately. She faced Sakuno, looking apologetic. "I'm so sorry. You'll find that he's a bit of a liar sometimes…I hope that doesn't deter you from the job?"

_No kidding_, thought Sakuno about the 'liar' part. "No, of course not!" Sakuno said, smiling at Rinko. Rinko smiled in relief.

After they bade farewell with hopes of seeing each other again the next morning (with the exception of Shuichiro), Sakuno drove away from the house and back to the city.

Well, apparently Ryoma-kun hadn't done a very good job of disciplining his son, Sakuno thought, feeling a bit annoyed with the little boy already. Although, Rinko made it sound like she and her husband were in charge of most of the disciplining, with Ryoma gone so often. If that was the case, then the boy certainly inherited much of his father's qualities. In fact, he was _worse_ than Ryoma. And that was just on a good day. She wondered how much worse the boy could get on a really bad day.

_It doesn't matter_, Sakuno thought. It would be fine. She would just have to teach him some discipline, that's all. Although she had no idea how to even begin. Sakuno sighed.

She was doing this for Mika. And for Ryoma-kun as well, now that she thought about it. She would take care of her friend's son, no matter how rude the boy was. She just thought that the job would have been easier…

--

Author's Note: I'm horrible when it comes to description, so I'll leave the rest of what the home looks like up to your own imaginations. :) (Plus, I just don't have the patience for detailed descriptions…sigh…) Ryoma's back the next chapter, though!

Oh yeah…I'm having Rinko call Nanjirou 'Anata'. On the anime, I heard her call him that once. I think it's a way Japanese wives call their husbands or something… Correct me if I'm wrong.


	3. Full House

_Disclaimer: I don't own the Prince of Tennis._

-

**Friendship's Gift**

Chapter 3: **Full House**

-

It was evening now and Sakuno was unpacking her things in her temporary room at the Echizen household. Her grandmother was on the room next door, aided by Rinko with her own things. Sakuno had a seat on her bed, and when she was surprised at how incredibly soft and comfortable it was, she lay down fully on her back and sighed in content. "This is too good…" she said, closing her eyes.

"Sakuno-san." Rinko knocked on her door once.

"Come in," said Sakuno, sitting back up on the bed.

Rinko came in. "I see you're done unpacking already," she said. "I hope you feel at home here?"

"I-I do," replied Sakuno, smiling sheepishly. Perhaps _too_ at home was the correct phrasing.

"Dinner's ready. I'll be downstairs," said Rinko.

"Thank you," Sakuno mumbled, but Rinko was already out. She got up from the bed and put on her slippers.

"Obaa-chan, I'm going to be downstairs…" she said, opening the door to her grandmother's room. But the room was empty. She must have headed downstairs already.

Sakuno shrugged and headed downstairs to the dining room. Nanjirou was already sitting at the head of the dining table, Sumire sitting on his left. The two were already in conversation, about tennis most likely. Shuichiro sat on his grandfather's right, poking at the food on his plate with his fork. He was resting his head on his other free hand, staring at his food bleakly. Rinko was sitting next to him, the only one at the table eating their food.

Sakuno sat down next to her grandmother. She spared a glance in Shuichiro's direction, expecting him to be glaring at her from his seat. But he wasn't even looking at her. He was dead set determined to not look anywhere else other than his plate. "Shuichiro…eat your food," she heard Rinko tell him.

"M-hmm…" Shuichiro nodded.

"Well, this is just great," Nanjirou cried in a mocking cheerful tone. He practically bounced in his seat, however, looking at Sumire. "We're going to have lots of fun, old hag. It's time I got back at you for all that torturous training you made me take when I was your pupil. And I get to do it personally, too. Ha, ha!"

Sumire frowned at him, regretting to sit next to him. He was spitting food out as he spoke but he didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he really was trying to do it on purpose…

"Ah, sweet revenge!" Nanjirou sang.

"Anata," Rinko said sternly.

"Ah, fine, whatever," said Nanjirou in annoyance. "I'm only behaving in front of you right now so you won't take away my girly magazines."

Sumire shook her head. "Figures, you still read that trash. And talking about it in front of your grandson!"

"Eh, my own son had to deal with it since he was born, why should it be any different for my grandson?"

"You're supposed to set a better example to your grandchildren, that's why!"

"Yeah, right. If I have any luck, I can get _this one_ hanging out with chicks sooner!"

"He's only seven, for goodness sake, Nanjirou!"

"Grandma, please, _I_ dated young ladies _before_ then."

Sumire's face turned a shade of plum. Sakuno edged her seat away from her grandmother, continuing to eat her food as if nothing was amiss. Rinko seemed to be doing the same thing. "_What_ _did you call me, Nanjirou_?" Sumire growled through gritted teeth.

"Excuse me."

Sakuno looked up and saw Shuichiro getting up from his seat. Nanjirou and Sumire were too busy to notice him speak; Sumire had a death-grip on Nanjirou's neck. "What is it?" Rinko asked him.

"I'm just not hungry anymore," he replied. Sakuno saw his plate was practically untouched, minus the few stab marks he left on the food. "I'm going to my room." As soon as he left, Sakuno gave Rinko questioning look. The boy's personality during dinner had differed very much from what she had seen before.

"You don't have to worry about him tonight. I'll tug him in," said Rinko, looking at Sakuno with a faint smile.

"Is something wrong?" asked Sakuno. The boy may have been a pest to her before, but she still felt worried.

"No," Rinko shook her head. "He's just upset. Ryoma hasn't been home for more than a month now."

"Oh…" said Sakuno, her eyes looking down.

"It's not the first time," Rinko continued. "Sometimes he's out for a much longer period of time. It's always been like this. But I guess Shuichiro is still not used to it."

"Rinko-san…" Sakuno spoke up. "I'll tug him in tonight, if you don't mind."

"Oh?" Rinko seemed slightly surprised, but she smiled. "That's fine."

Sakuno smiled. "Thank you."

Rinko took a sip of her water, her eyes looking playful to Sakuno. "_You're_ the babysitter, after all."

--

Shuichiro had been juggling a soccer ball when she came in. His back was to her. Sakuno figured he hadn't noticed her come in.

"What do you want, Nee-san?"

Okay, maybe he did.

"Um…" Sakuno had rehearsed many times what to say to him before coming in, but now she was blank. So she remained quiet, watching him juggle the ball in the air.

He juggled for a good long ten minutes before he let the ball drop on the floor. He turned to face Sakuno. His eyes were scrutinizing her angrily, probably trying to figure out what she was still doing in his room.

"Um, you juggle the ball really well," Sakuno blurted out. It sounded like something stupid to say to him, considering how angry he looked with having her there. But she might as well keep going, now that she got started. "Where did you learn to do that?"

"By myself," he said firmly.

Sakuno inwardly flinched; she didn't miss the accusation he had unintentionally thrown at his father.

"So, you like soccer?" she said, wanting to take the conversation out of dangerous waters. She didn't want to be the one at fault if Ryoma came home to an overly-rebellious son. If he wasn't already.

Shuichiro eyed her suspiciously. "A little…" he said slowly.

"Really? You look good too. _I'm_ not very good at sports," said Sakuno. She mentally patted herself on the back. _Not bad, Sakuno…_

Shuichiro sighed exasperatedly. "Nee-san, why don't you just leave and say you did your job? You're not very good at all."

_Crap._ "Hey, I'm trying!" cried Sakuno, her cheeks already red with embarrassment.

"Why are you even doing this?" Shuichiro raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms. "You're so bad."

"This is a favor," said Sakuno, a vein popping in her head. "Something an ingrate like you wouldn't understand." She wasn't normally so mean. In fact, Sakuno was quite the opposite of mean. But this boy went past her limits. She couldn't believe she actually felt sorry for him earlier.

Shuichiro sighed, arms falling to his side. "Oh, well. 'Tousan will be home soon." He smirked. "_Then_ you can leave."

"You miss him a lot, don't you?" Sakuno was now sitting on the edge of his bed. Her eyes softened.

She knew she caught him off-guard. His arms uncrossed and his cheeks reddened. "You're very nosy," he said quietly.

"But it's true, isn't it?"

Shuichiro was quiet for about a minute. Then he looked at Sakuno, his eyes hard again. "You're not going to befriend me like that. I'm not falling for it."

"I wasn't saying that just to befriend you," Sakuno replied. "I really was interested."

"Ha," said Shuichiro, snorting. "Right. Ne, Nee-san, shouldn't you be tucking me in by now?"

"Oh right! It's past eight already!" Sakuno jumped off his bed. "Quick…bed!"

Shuichiro looked at her. "I didn't say I was going to be easy."

Sakuno growled, grabbed him around the waist, and lifted him in the air. She ignored his protests and dropped him on the bed, then proceeded to take his shoes off. She was surprised when she actually heard him laughing.

"You…you forgot about my pajamas! I can't sleep in my clothes!" he said.

"Oh yes you can!"

After yet another short scuffle (with Shuichiro somehow ending up in his pajamas), Sakuno switched off the lights and opened the door to leave. "Good night, then," she said to him.

"Ne, Nee-san…"

Sakuno paused. "Yes?"

"I'm going to teach you some soccer tomorrow," he said.

Sakuno grinned. "All right," she said.

"Don't get too happy," he added. "It's only so I can kick your butt."

Another vein popped. "_All right_," she repeated. Then she closed the door.

--

"Serve him orange juice. He hates apple juice," said Rinko as she made some scrambled eggs.

"Hai," replied Sakuno, going to the fridge. She was helping Rinko with breakfast. Nanjirou was reading the newspaper at the table. Sumire was seated next to him again, and the look she was giving him suggested that he wasn't reading the 'newspaper' at all. Sakuno chuckled, watching the two. On the outside it seemed like the two couldn't stand each other. But Sakuno knew her grandmother just didn't have the guts to admit that she actually enjoyed being in her old student's company again. They were inseparable.

"Old hag."

"Horny geezer."

"_Take that back!"_

Sakuno was carrying a plate full of pancakes to the table when she heard Shuichiro running down the stairs. "Shuichiro-kun!" she called out, leaving the kitchen to meet him at the stairs. "Shuichiro-kun, please don't run—"

"'Tousan!"

Sakuno stopped at the entry way. That's when it hit her why Shuichiro was so eager to run down the stairs. He ran to the front door and straight into the arms of his father.

She didn't notice him come in. But there he was, wearing a black turtleneck sweater and white pants, and yes…the white Fila cap. He hadn't changed much at all in appearance. Sakuno found herself grinning. "Ryoma-kun!"

Ryoma looked up from Shuichiro's hug. "Ryuzaki…? What are you doing here?"

Sakuno was just about to answer when she heard a familiar voice coming from outside. "Oi, Echizen! Help me out with the rest of the luggage!" Momoshiro came in then, carrying a sports bag over his shoulder. He let it down on the floor. "Ah, Shuichi-kun!" he cried. He still sounded like a boy when he cried in glee. "So good to see you, so good to see you! Rinko-san…" he said, turning to Sakuno. He stopped when he realized it wasn't Rinko, and a huge grin came over his face.

"SAKUNO-CHAAAAN!"

"Oi, Momo…"

"It's Sakuno-chaaaan!"

"Oi…"

Rinko came into the entry way then. "Why in the world is there so much noise…?"

"Momo," Ryoma sighed. "Apparently Ryuzaki is a sight to behold…"

"Oh," said Rinko, looking over to Momoshiro. She giggled.

Sakuno was speechless. She was happy to see Ryoma again, but seeing Momoshiro too was an even bigger surprise. And she was flattered with how happy _he_ was to see her too. She didn't think he would remember her so much after so long. "Um…hello, Momoshi—"

"MOMO-CHAN!" he interrupted.

"Momo-chan…"

"Echizen!" Momo turned to Ryoma, hugging Sakuno to his side. "You didn't tell me you had Sakuno-chan over."

"I didn't know," Ryoma replied simply. He looked at his mother.

Rinko smiled. "Sakuno-san is now Shuichiro-san's babysitter. I hired her."

"Huh…" Ryoma looked at Sakuno. Sakuno straightened up, giving him a friendly smile. He smirked. "Aren't you a little too old to be playing the babysitter?"

Sakuno stiffened. "You too?" she said in disbelief. She looked at Shuichiro, still by his father's side. He was chuckling to himself. She pouted. "You could have just said 'hi'…"

"Hi, then," he said. He was still smirking. "Come on, Momo."

"Echizen, what about the rest of the luggage?"

"We'll get it later," said Ryoma, already on his way to the kitchen.

Momo turned to Sakuno, grinning. "I can't believe you're here," he said. "Sugoi! Sugoi!"

"You haven't changed one bit, Momo-chan…" Sakuno smiled sheepishly.

"Nope!" said Momo.

"Let's all go have some breakfast now," said Rinko. "We can all talk with each other then."

Momo flipped out yet again when he saw Sumire Ryuzaki sitting at the kitchen table. He wouldn't stop hugging her and saying how happy he was to see her again until she threatened to stab him in the eye with her fork if he didn't let go. "Sheesh, just as mean…" he sighed, having a seat next to Sakuno.

Shuichiro was quick and eager to have the seat next to Ryoma. He didn't hesitate to bombard his father with questions about where he was and if he won any tennis matches. His personality had completely turned over since Ryoma's arrival. Sakuno was glad he was happier now, but the thought also saddened her a bit. What about the next time Ryoma left?

"So did you lose your job and that's why you're now a babysitter?"

Sakuno saw Ryoma smirking at her again. She flushed. "I _didn't_ lose my job," she said firmly. "I _quit_. And stop making fun of me because I'm a babysitter!"

"Che, I was just asking…" he rolled his eyes.

"_I_ actually asked her over," Rinko said. "I needed the help. I didn't want to have to ask a stranger, and Sakuno-san's a very sweet girl, so I asked for her help."

"She needs better practice, though," Shuichiro cut in. "She's really not very—Oomph!" Sakuno kicked him under the table.

"Can we all just stop talking now? There's too much talking here and I'm having a hard time enjoying the newspaper," Nanjirou interrupted.

"You're not even reading the newspaper!" Sumire cried.

"Shut up, old hag."

"Anata!"

"Hmm! Oishii! These eggs are really good!" said Momo. He was in the middle of stuffing his mouth full with scrambled eggs.

Sakuno sweatdropped. The whole room had filled with everyone's voices, each cutting the other off.

"Mada mada dane…" she heard Ryoma mutter to himself, pulling his hat down.

Sakuno smiled. Mada mada dane, indeed…

* * *

**Author's Note:** It's an abrupt end. I'm not even too happy with it, but my mother is being annoying and is cutting down my time on the computer. Since I don't know how much longer I'll have to wait until I get to write a long chapter again, I decided to post this much up at least for you eager readers. Until I get started on chapter four, then! Ja, minna! 


	4. The Soccer Game

_Disclaimer: Don't own it…don't own it… (PoT)_

-

**Friendship's Gift**

Chapter 4: **The Soccer Game**

--

"You kick like this…with the inside of your foot…"

It was midday now and Sakuno, Momo, Shuichiro, and Ryoma were out in the backyard. Shuichiro explained the basics of soccer to her, but Sakuno lost him somewhere along. First, she always had a hard time not only playing sports but also _understanding_ the rules of sports. She remembered how long it took for her to remember the mechanics of tennis when she was younger. Second, the backyard was _huge_. Not surprising, since the house itself was in the middle of a large clearing, but Sakuno was surprised they even had enough space for another building in the back. Shuichiro told her it was for the indoor tennis court when he noticed her looking on their way out.

"Nee-san, you're not listening."

Shuichiro was kneeling on the ground, his hands holding on to a soccer ball. He was looking at her with a frown on his face. Momo was a few feet away, making unnecessary grunts as he stretched. Ryoma stood several spaces away from him, hands locked at the back of his head, as he waited for Shuichiro and Sakuno to finish going over the basic rules of the game.

"Oh. Sorry…" replied Sakuno sheepishly, looking at Shuichiro. "I think I got most of it, though. Maybe if we just played, I'll get it then…"

"Okay," said Shuichiro, eagerly getting up from the ground. "Explaining the rules is boring anyway…"

"Wait a sec, kiddo!" Momo approached them. "How are we going to play? We're only four people…"

"Someone can be the goalie," said Shuichiro. "We only have one goalpost anyway. Then the other three play against each other. Simple as that."

"Chotto matte!"

"Huh?" Sakuno turned with the others to see the source of the loud voice, Nanjirou Echizen, making his way across the field to the four of them. He didn't look very pleased.

"I'm playing with you guys," he said irritably, closing his eyes.

"Oyaji, you _have_ to be kidding…" Ryoma came over, arms crossed now.

"Shut up! Your mother says I need the exercise!" Nanjirou yelled at him. "Besides, she'll throw away my magazines if I don't, and I have a feeling she's only making me do this so she and that old hag can have some amusement."

Indeed, Sakuno could see Rinko and her grandmother peeking out the kitchen window. She blushed crimson. If she stumbled and fell…

Momo broke into laughter, however. "So the old man's joining? This is going to be fun!" he said.

Shuichiro went on to explain the game as Nanjirou smacked Momo in the head. "Well, now we can have a two versus two match. 'Jii-chan can be the goalie, since he's older…"

"Grandson! I _demand_ you take that back!" Nanjirou cried out indignantly.

"What for? He's right," said Ryoma.

Shuichiro went on, despite the interruption, "…so now we just have to pick teams."

"Echizen and I are together," said Momo, dragging a reluctant Ryoma over to his side.

Shuichiro gaped at Momo. "That's not fair!" he cried. "Nee-san here can't play! You'll win easily!" He didn't notice Sakuno glaring at him at all.

Momo shrugged. "Surprise us. Come on, Echizen…"

Ryoma sighed. It was clear he wasn't excited about playing the game.

"Well, if that's how it's going to be…" said Nanjirou, murmuring rude things to himself as he went to the goalpost.

Shuichiro placed the soccer ball at the center of the field. Then he turned to Sakuno. "Listen carefully…when I say 'go', you kick the ball, passing it to _me_. I'll take it to the goalpost and you cover me, all right?"

"All right…" Sakuno replied unenthusiastically. She wanted to take more part in the game but Shuichiro was apparently 'in charge' already.

She stood next to the ball. Ryoma stood in front of her, the ball between them. "Well, this is going to be easy, isn't it?" he said.

He was challenging her already and the game hadn't even started. Sakuno's stare hardened. She wasn't going to let him get to her. She knew that was just his way of playing games—taunting his opponents to gain an upper hand in mentality. She wished she could say something back…but she honestly had no idea _what_ to say (taunting not being one of her strengths) so she settled for glaring at him as best as she could, waiting for Shuichiro's call.

"Go!"

--

"Oh my, she's very good…" Rinko said, looking out the window.

"You think so…?" said Sumire, her eyes a little wide. She had snorted a bit into her tea but Rinko didn't notice. Rinko also didn't seem to notice that everything Sakuno did was not part of a good, elaborate play. Because as the young woman's grandmother, she had completely seen through her granddaughter's move and knew…Sakuno had messed up big time.

It only looked good from so far away.

--

"Itai!" Ryoma cried.

Sakuno flinched.

Shuichiro ran ahead with the ball, Momo following suit. Neither of them had noticed that Sakuno had accidentally kicked Ryoma on his ankle…_hard_. She had been so determined to get to the ball first that when she heard Shuichiro's call, she immediately kicked towards the ball. Her aiming was horrible—she hit Ryoma _and_ the ball so that the ball sped straight to Shuichiro, who ran ahead with it as if nothing wrong had happened. It really did look like she did exactly as Shuichiro said, no flaws involved.

Her face reddened incredibly. She couldn't believe she hit him like that. What was so hard about _kicking a ball_? "I'm so sorry!" she cried, hurrying to his side. He was on the ground, holding on to his foot.

"It's all right," he said, though it sounded forced. "I've had worse injuries than this." He got up and flexed out his foot but despite what he said, he winced a little as he placed it back on the ground.

"I'm sorry… When I kicked, I—"

"Nee-san!" Shuichiro and Momo came running over. "We scored! I didn't know you kicked that well!"

Ryoma stared at Sakuno and Sakuno lowered her head in shame. She had to be redder than a tomato by now. "I didn't hit very well…" she mumbled.

"Eh? What's that?" Shuichiro asked. Momo leaned in curiously.

"I hit Ryoma-kun on the ankle…" she mumbled again.

"Well, it can't have been _that_ bad. I mean, I didn't even see it happen," said Momo, chuckling. "Echizen, you can still play, right? Right?" He went and kicked Ryoma's ankle lightly, making the latter cry out in pain.

"What are you doing?!" Ryoma cried, limping away.

"_Eh?!_ It's bad?" Momo's eyes widened.

"Oi! What's going on over there? Let's hurry up and finish this game, I have girly magazines at stake here!"

"So we can't play anymore?" Shuichiro looked up at Sakuno and Ryoma with disappointed eyes.

"I can still play," Ryoma said immediately.

"No, you can't," Sakuno cut him off. "If you run around with your ankle like that, you're bound to get another injury."

"I told you already, I've had worse."

"You're being stubborn."

"Well…" Momo cut in slowly. "Even if Echizen can't run, he can still play…have him switch with his old man, let _him_ be the goalie."

"But that's boring…" said Ryoma.

"It's a good idea, though," said Momo. "You won't have to move much. And we can keep playing."

"Yeah!" Shuichiro piped in.

Ryoma finally obliged and they had him take over the goalpost. Nanjirou was now paired up with Momo. Even though he said he was only playing because of his magazines, he looked very excited to show what he could do to his grandson. So at the start of the next game, Nanjirou got to the ball first before Sakuno and ran ahead with it.

"Let's get 'im!" Shuichiro cried, already following suit. Sakuno nodded and ran with him, Momo behind her.

"Aha, ha, ha!" Nanjirou cried in mirth. "You won't get a hold of _me_, kids! Sesshonen! Get ready because I'm coming!"

"Baka Oyaji…" Ryoma murmured to himself at the goalpost.

"Here I come—!" But Nanjirou didn't get to the goalpost. Shuichiro was able to get close enough to his grandfather that he jumped on him. He missed by an inch but managed to get a hold of his pants. Nanjirou's pants were pulled down to his legs, causing him to get tangled up and trip. Shuichiro landed on top of him but he wasn't grinning yet. "Get the ball, Nee-san!"

"Hai!" Sakuno pushed herself to run as fast as she could. She could still hear Momo running behind her. She was surprised she hadn't tripped so far, especially under this much pressure.

_I got it!_ she thought in glee. Now she just had to run to the goalpost and score. And she would kick _correctly_ this time, she thought as she neared Ryoma. She was determined to score this goal herself. Ryoma was crouched a little, awaiting her kick.

And she kicked.

--

"Oh, dear." Rinko put down her cup of tea on the table. She glanced anxiously out the window.

"That's _twice_ now," Sumire said. Her eye cringed.

Rinko nodded. "I shouldn't have suggested he played. But Shuichiro-san was so eager…"

Sumire finished the last sip of her tea. "This is going to be harder than we thought."

--

The soccer ball seemed to take forever to part with Ryoma's face and land on the ground. There was silence on the field, as everyone waited for his reaction. Sakuno stood there, mouth open. She was at a loss for words.

Then the snickering began. Nanjirou pulled Shuichiro off him and the two were holding their laughter. Momo wasn't so successful. He doubled over, laughing out loud. "Oh my… Oh my… Echizen… your face…!" he couldn't even speak coherently.

There was a bright, red circle on Ryoma's face. Even though the laughter should have eased the tension in the air, Sakuno still felt horrible. That was the second time she injured Ryoma on the field, albeit unintentionally, although it still made her look bad.

"Gomen ne!" she said. As if it would do anything to ease his pain.

"I'm fine…" he said, his hand to his face.

"Demo…" Sakuno paused. Shuichiro and Momo came running over. Nanjirou was too busy rolling on the ground laughing to join them.

"Maybe we should stop playing now. Get you some ice inside…" said Momo.

"Right," he said, already walking toward the house. His laughing father was getting on his nerves.

Momo stared back at Sakuno. "Wow, I didn't know you possessed such cruelty," he said jokingly.

Sakuno smiled faintly. "I'm sure he thinks I did it on purpose…"

"Nah," said Momo, looking back at Ryoma's walking figure. "He's fine."

Shuichiro picked up the soccer ball from where it landed on the ground. He studied it as he said, "Oi, Nee-san, I'm never playing soccer with you again."

--

It was seven in the evening and Sakuno was folding Shuichiro's laundry in the laundry room. Momo had gone home two hours ago. Rinko and Sumire were discussing things in the kitchen, a little too quietly, and Sakuno had to wonder what they were talking about. Nanjirou was in the theater room watching television. Rinko advised no one go in there while he was still there.

When she was finished, she put Shuichiro's clothes in a basket and climbed the stairs to go to his room. As she was getting closer, she could hear voices coming from inside the room. The door was ajar.

"Itai! Don't touch it."

"It still stings? Nee-san kicks hard. Ne, 'Tousan."

"Hm?"

Sakuno put the basket down on the floor. She could see part of the room inside and knew it was Ryoma and Shuichiro in there. She wondered if she should just go in and bring in Shuichiro's clothes. No…she didn't want to interrupt them. Maybe if she just stayed in her own room for a while, until they were done…

"You missed my birthday last week."

"I know…I'm sorry." A short pause. "Where do you want to go?"

"Eh?"

"I missed your birthday. You must have wanted to go somewhere. We'll go tomorrow."

"Anywhere I want?"

Ryoma didn't say anything. Sakuno figured he must have nodded.

"Then I want to go the amusement park!"

"Che…I thought you'd say that."

"You said anywhere I want!"

"Fine. I'll take you tomorrow."

"Yay!"

Sakuno could hear footsteps now and she started. She didn't realize she stood rooted to that spot, just listening to their conversation. She tiptoed quietly to her room and locked herself in there. She waited to hear Ryoma walk down the hall and head downstairs. She sighed. Then she smiled. Their conversation was so…cute.

She waited a few minutes until she walked in to Shuichiro's room. Shuichiro was already in bed, tucked in under his covers. His small television was on, displaying some loony cartoons. "Hi," he said nonchalantly as she walked in. "Were you going to tuck me in now?"

"Sort of," replied Sakuno. "But I see you're already tucked in. Actually, I just had some clean clothes to put away for you."

"Oh," said Shuichiro. He watched the television quietly as Sakuno put his folded clothes neatly in his drawer. "Could you turn off the TV for me?" he asked when she finished. Sakuno turned it off for him. She went to his side, placing her hand on his cheek. "What are you doing?" he asked, looking at her strangely.

"Nothing," replied Sakuno. She took her hand away. "Good night, Shuichiro-kun."

"'Night, you weird Nee-san."

Sakuno let the rude comment go for tonight. She noticed Shuichiro was puzzled that she hadn't said anything to him about it. He looked so cute now, when she wasn't busy thinking about how rude and mean he could be. Maybe she'd grown a soft spot for him, despite the way he treated her before. She switched off his lights, letting him go to sleep.

--

"He's sleeping," Sakuno said to Rinko when she walked into the kitchen.

"Oh, good," said Rinko. "Here, pass this to Ryoma."

"Huh?" Rinko passed her an ice pack. Sakuno only just noticed that Ryoma was there, sitting at the far end of the table. She thought Rinko was the only one in the dim-lit kitchen.

"He still has a small headache," said Rinko.

Sakuno flushed. It was her fault. She walked over to him, giving him the ice pack. "Sorry," she said again.

"Mada mada dane, Ryuzaki."

"…What?"

"You just don't stop apologizing, do you?"

"I gave you two injuries today."

"And I told you already," he said, holding the ice pack to his head. "It doesn't matter so stop apologizing to me about it."

"All right…" replied Sakuno, frowning slightly. "Good night, Rinko-san. Good night, Ryoma-kun." And she left the kitchen.

Rinko looked at Ryoma after Sakuno disappeared from the kitchen. "You could have been a little easier on her," she said calmly. "She didn't mean to give you that headache."

Ryoma sighed, putting the ice pack down. "It's not her. I'm just a little tense."

Rinko placed a hand on her son's shoulder. "It's Shuichiro, isn't it?" He didn't say anything. "I called you on his birthday so you could talk."

"My stupid manager didn't let me pick up any calls that whole week. I was busy and he didn't want anything to get in the way," he said bitterly.

"It'll work out, Ryoma," said Rinko. "Besides, Sakuno-san is here."

"How is _that_ going to change anything?" He looked at her impatiently.

"Well, she'll take care of Shuichiro, among other things," she said, walking back to the fridge to serve herself a glass of milk. Rinko was enjoying toying with her son's mind. She knew Sakuno suspected something going on between her and her grandmother. But her son was even denser than Sakuno in that respect. Therefore, she was allowed a few word games with him. "Good night, Ryoma," she said. She ignored the confusion showing on his face as she left him to sit alone in the kitchen.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Hmm, I'm beginning to think that this story is going to be _very_ long. I just don't want Ryoma and Sakuno immediately falling for each other. I would rather like to build it up and take my time with it. Besides, there are plenty of other things I'm thinking of putting into the story and there will lots of chances for the character development then. I'm getting excited just thinking about it already! Ooo, this is going to be fun… 


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